Educate,Create,Educate- Knowledge Equals Stimulation for Creativity

I made a decision to finally return to school at the end of last year. I’d been thinking about it for awhile. The end game goal, for education, is to not only to complete my Masters in Arts, but to also get a PH.D. That sounds like a lot of school but I have taken a good 10 year break from it since my college days. I reminisced on how creatively stimulated I was through the various courses that I took. As I have mentioned in some of my past blogs, for me, I am most creative when I have a goal and or deadline that I need to complete. As we all know when being in school, your life is full of deadlines, be it for research papers, homework, performances (arts or sports), prom, etc. As a student you master the deadline. Aside from all that, the other most fulfilling aspect of being in school was the education that I received. I was a rare student when entering college because I already knew exactly what I wanted to do, to simply put it…Theatre and Art. So that’s what I studied.

I was hungry for knowledge and seeking all the ways I could become a better artist, and I was happy to learn the skills to do so. But aside from my majors courses, were the GE’s (General Education) courses that I also had to take.

During my time in college, I had moments where I was very reluctant and almost wished I could rebel any of the GE courses that I had to take. For me they seemed like a waste of time, especially since all I wanted to do was focus on my art. But as time passed, as my years of no longer being a student, I realized the value of the knowledge I learned during my colligate years made me the artist I am today. Currently I am taking as art history course titled, “African Art History.” For me the importance of learning any art form is to learn about the seeds of its birth. What creative practice do you admire? And do you know where it started or what its original use was? Or how about learning a new creative art skill?

The beauty of modern day technology is that one doesn’t have to leave their home to learn for example, Photoshop or the art of typography. Websites like Skillshare, offer a variety of awesome courses at a great price. Did you know that if you currently hold a Bachelor’s degree you can take a California community college course for free, by applying for the Board of Education Fee Wavier? To learn more about that contact your cities community college and this may vary in other states. A great way to be inspired is to learn something entirely new, or maybe even refresh an old skill that you once had, a good example could be playing that childhood instrument that you played in your high school band. Here is my impromptu idea for the week: Check out your local community college for classes that you might be interested in taking. If you’re a busy bee, look into their online courses! Also check out Skillshare, or Youtube for a video that teaches you how to do a new skill (my favorites are for Natural Hair Care and Beauty Trends). Or you can kick it old school style and check out a book and read about (Shh…more on this next week ;) Education can be fun, challenging, and motivating, and it can even stimulate a great creative idea.

“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.”
- Anthony J. D'Angelo